From Couch Potato To Outdoor Cyclist

On the bike, I couldn’t ride for even two or three minutes without my legs feeling numb and spastic due to MS. So I decided to back off my efforts and count revolutions instead of minutes with 300 spins as my short-term goal (150 for each leg). If I cycled for 300 rotations at a steady, slow pace, it would equal about five minutes.

That was the beginning of my long transformation from couch potato to outdoor cyclist. During that first year, I slowly transitioned from counting revolutions to counting minutes to counting miles. I also started counting calories too. After a year, I lost 50 pounds and could ride for 45 minutes on the exercise bike and still feel good afterward.


I started to dream of riding a real bike again. But I hadn’t done so since college, and I didn’t have a bike. Many months later, I went shopping. The image of me trying out bikes when I hadn’t even been on one in many years was funny. I eventually chose one and began riding it short distances. Just like with the exercise bike, I started with small goals: down the street and back, one mile, two miles, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and more.

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From Couch Potato to Outdoor Cyclist

Keep Your Medicine Drawer Organized

One of the most common themes across different chronic disease communities is the large number of medications and supplements we often use. Some of us might keep those medication bottles in a box, a drawer, or a pretty flowered travel bag. My bag is full of current medications, extra bottles of supplements, drugs that are used only when I need them, and prescriptions I no longer use. For the medications that I use “as needed,” there are several bottles that tend to sit around for lengthy periods of time, the medication eventually expiring.

Keeping track of your medications can be challenging, particularly if you take several for different purposes. Sometimes it can be tricky to balance convenience — having all the medication you might want on hand at any given time — with safety — clearing out all of the half-used bottles of unwanted or expired drugs. Here are six tips for managing your medications:

1. Understand your medication
Keep a master list of all medications and supplements you use and carry this list with you in a wallet or pulse. Include information detailing: name of drug; purpose of the drug; correct dosage; how, when, and how long to take the drug; drug storage requirements; any special instructions; possible side effects and drug interactions to be aware of. Your list should also include the date it was last updated.


2. Use one pharmacy

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Clean Out and Organize Your Medicine Drawer

Real MS Profile: Felicia E

“Be prepared for the unknown and roll with it!” — Felicia E.

A HealthCentral interview with MS patient, Felicia E.

HC: Felicia, when were you diagnosed with MS? What led to your diagnosis?
Felicia: I was diagnosed in 2015, the same year I turned 50 years old. My legs had gone numb and tingly. My diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and results of a spinal tap.

HC: How has MS impacted your life?
Felicia: MS has caused reduced physical activity and reduced cognitive function. Unfortunately, extreme fatigue keeps me from engaging in my previous level of activities.

HC: Have you made any conscious lifestyle changes due to MS? If so, has it affected your quality of life?
Felicia: I tried to go Paleo, but it wasn’t successful.

HC: What are your greatest fears with MS?
Felicia: I’m afraid of dependence on others, loss of ambulatory abilities, and bowel incontinence which has already begun.

HC: What are your greatest joys with MS?
Felicia: The sense of support and camaraderie of MS support groups.

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#RealMSProfiles: Felicia E

Spring Cleaning Your Emotional Health

Over time, houses can become messy and cluttered. Heavy drapes keep out winter drafts, but block the cleansing light of the sun. As springtime breezes over the windowsill, cobwebs flutter in the corners. Until light illuminates the cobwebs and dust bunnies, they are too easy to ignore, allowing them grow into a fierce filament army.

In the past, I have described my own depression as a monster that hides in the corners. Most of the time small and miniature, the monster can be easily ignored. But allow it to grow unnoticed in the darkness and the mini-monster becomes a beast straining to break free from imaginary chains.

Dealing with emotions is not as easy and straight forward as spring cleaning. But I’ve found that if I acknowledge the emotions, really take the time and mindfulness to notice that they are there, the negative emotions lose some of their potency while the positive emotions gain strength. Shedding light on the emotions helps to know where to mentally sweep, as long as you do not “sweep” the emotions under your cognitive rug.

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Cleaning Out The Emotional Clutter Of MS

Meet Jessica P in #RealMSProfiles

“Continue to plan your future regardless of MS.” — Jessica P., @JesswithMS

HC: Have you made any conscious lifestyle changes due to MS? If so, has it affected your quality of life?

Jessica: I made the decision not to further my education. I am only able to work so many hours a week due to MS and the permanent damage it has caused. MS has been a huge financial burden to our family [so] I chose my children's future over my own. I’m also unable to participate in every school event or sporting events. Heat and cold intolerance make it hard, as well as the overwhelming fatigue.

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#RealMSProfiles: JessicaP

Meet Krystina E in #RealMSProfiles

“Find joy and peace in the small things. Your spirit still needs to be nourished.” — Krystina E., RunningToStayAlive (Instagram)

HC: Have your goals changed since you’ve been living with MS? If so, how?

Krystina: Yes they have. I was planning on going into nursing. With cog fog, shaky hands, and now a wheelchair, that's no longer a good option. Instead, I'm working toward a career in software development.

HC: What words of advice do you have for others in managing day-to-day life with MS?

Krystina: Get a doctor, get on medication, and stay on it. A lack of insurance has made me progress really fast. Also try to find joy and peace in the small things. Your spirit still needs to be nourished.

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#RealMSProfiles: KrystinaE